Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-14
LIME As A FERTILIZER.
Its Satisfactory and Lasting Eject Upon
Limestone Soils.


been asked question in regard to the
effect of lime upon limestone soils.
replies that 1t has no effect upon such
soils and Is not in any sense plant
food. but acts only as IL exerts n chcmi-
cal effect upon organic matter in the
sail. decomposing 1t and making II
moro quickly available. Consequently
Il Is stimulant and not a fertilizer,
and its use is apt TO be injurious; or
words to this effect as we quote from
memory. Had an ordinary farmer
given uttcrancc 10 such remarks they
might have been excused on the
ground that this belief has been prev
slent for years past when the action OF
limo upon the soil was not fully under
stood. But an intelligent farmer
would scarcely make such an CHROME
ons statement knowing how much lime
il contained In the ash IT all the
crops grown upon farms. and also
knowing that the materials which go
TO make up this ash must be plant food
quite as much as nitrogen or potash or
phosphoric acid Is plant food. That
professor in an agricultural college
should make this statement goes far to
explain why these Institutions are not
a. acceptable 10 the farmers as they
might be. For II there is any subject
upon which practical farmers know cx-
prrimentally more Of than another i is
abe results OK lime upon the soil
Lime Is most active alkaline sub
L.. 1t tks. atal al. 81
II possesses remarkable properties. be-
Ing exceedingly corrosive aud destruo-
tive 30 organic matter, aud combining
actively with silica. Moreover. II Is a
constant constituent Of all organic
matter. forming large portion of the
ash Of all plants and of the bones and
shells Of all spimals. Its corrosive
property Is due TO its avidiiy for car
bonic acid and water; as 1t combines
with this acid to form it, neutral con-
dEtion ~ carbonate of lime. In which
form IL holds about SO per cent of
water In combination without being
itself moist, but remaining ~ fine
dry powder.
IL is produced BY calcining common
limestone. which IL the neutral and
wholly inert carbonate Of lime. aud is
very common Ingredient OF the soil.
The exclamation drives of the carbopiC
acid and leaves the lime (oxide or cal.
cium) pure with less Of nlne-tcn tbs
Of its weight II IL then soluble in
seven hundred times Its weight oil
water. In the form Of the carbonate
or common limestone IL Is scarcely
soluble Ia pure water. and II wholly
Inactive upon organic matter
Lime forms the following proportion
Of the ash of plants, viz; OF hay. l2
cent of lucern. AZ per cent of stems
and leaves Of po' atoes. 80 Ia as pei
cont; of turnips 80 per cent; Of car.
rots. 30 per cent; of potato fibre, 5C
per cent; OF wheat straw, por cent.
Of oat straw. : per cent; Of corn
stalks. lol per cent of pea straw, Is
per cont of bean stems, 81 per cent,
Of the hemp plant, 43 per cent; OF the
hop plant. is per cent; OF tobacco, 81
pcr cent. OF oak leaves. ~ per cent
Of all other trces. Is 10 As per cont.
OF all seeds, from to 80 per cent o.
all timbers. from 81 10 70 per cent; ot
hsrks Of trees from 43 10 Is per cent.
For any person. much moro an agri-
cultural professor, then. To say thai
lime Is not a plant food is most re.
markable misstatement and evlnces
the grossest ignorance of common
agricultural matters II lime Is not :
plant food potash Is moi. nor Ia nitro
gon. for there Is more lime In many
plants than there Is nitrogen. More
over the fact Is that lime exerts N
much effect upon the crops where the
soil Is full of limestone as whore there
IL none; for limestone Is wholly insolu-
Bile excepting in water containing q
considerable quantity of cnrbonic acid
But ~ lime Is readily soluble In cold
water and IL quickly made insoluble
By Its combination with carbonie acid
which It acquires from the organic
matter IL meets with In the soil. 1t Il
soon fixed, so TO speak. aud made un-
available for plants Hcnce 1; must
be frequently applied to the land and
many old farmers who have used lime
all their lives as regular course oi
fertillzing their land. consider il more
beneficial 10 use ten or twelve bushel.
annually than to use forty OF fifty
every fourth or fifth year.
Lime Is used most abuadantly whore
ihe soil il full Of limestone. aud the
reason Is that the abundant limestone
makes the lime cheap. for limestone Il
heavy, aud the cost Of its carriage and
handling Is cons derable, Where lime
stone Is not found IL is best to bring
10 lime. because the lime ftom two
thousand pounds of limestone weigh.
only eleven hundred pounds. aud
there Is large saving Of cost in the
carriage.
Lime Is one Of the mos, valuable ui
all plant foods. because Of its proya.
lencs in the ash OF all plants. aud for
other reasons. viz. that 1t exsrts a
favorable effect upon the silicate COM
hinations in the soil. dissolving and
uniting with the silica. and releasing
potash. soda magnesia aud phos-
phorie acid. which are all foods for
plaats. and also that Il quickly disor-
ganizes carbonaeeoas matter IN the
soil, freeing its heterogeneous elements
and forming the formation of solubl.
nitra,es, which are OF the highest inn